Is this little-visited island paradise home to Thailand’s best beach?
If you gave an AI image generator “perfect view” as a prompt, it might produce one as unreal as that from my Anantara Koh Yao Yai and Villas balcony. The sheer cliffs of Bird’s Nest Island in Thailand rise up from the Andaman Sea just a few hundred yards from the shore, and the burnished copper coin of the rising sun reflects a shimmering red trail into the limpid waters – all framed between two palm trees swaying in the morning breeze.
A perfect view, from a perfect resort. Days before we checked in, the Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort and Villas was the only hotel in Thailand to be named in Time magazine’s 2025 list of 100 World’s Greatest Places. It and the formerly little-visited island of Koh Yao Yai are two of Thailand’s true hidden gems.
Nestled in dense forest, the luxury resort opened in late 2023 after ten years in the planning. Its emphasis on environmental preservation extends to 100 varieties of native trees planted around the grounds, buildings that blend in with their natural surroundings, and the protection of the many ghost crabs down on the beach. These delightful creatures wave their bright white claws as though keeping the beat of a private soundtrack, scuttling sideways into deep holes in the sand if you approach.
The one downside to this paradise is the shallow water. Except at high tide, there’s a long walk-through muddy sands to anywhere you can swim, so guests mostly stick to the impressive sea-view swimming pool.
But never fear, because a short bike, car or boat journey away you’ll find one of the most stunning beaches in a country studded with them. As with the elusive destination in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, you may find you’re one of the only people there. What makes it even more remarkable is that, like the mythical Brigadoon, it appears only at particular times.
Laem Haad Beach begins as a narrow promontory of land with a white-sand beach on both sides, shaded by the leaves of dozens of palm trees. At high tide, the beach ends at the final tree. At the lowest tide, you’ll find flat sand all around.
It’s at close to low tide that the magic happens: a single long, curved sandbank gradually rises from the sea like a great white scimitar parting the turquoise water. You can follow it for hundreds of yards while the waves lap at your feet and forested limestone islands loom out of the misty distance.
Rooms and suites
The smallest of the Anantara Koh Yao Yai and Villas’ 148 suites, villas and penthouses is 968 square feet, which would feel generous in a one-bedroom flat. The largest has the footprint of a sizeable house (3,938 square feet) and boasts a glass-bottomed infinity pool on the upper floor so you can watch your partner or kids swim overhead as you relax in the living room below.
In the mid-sized range (still huge at 2,130 square feet) are the quirky Beachfront Pool Villas. From the balcony of my elegant Deluxe Sea-View Suite, these villas look like nothing more than a continuation of the rolling, stepped green lawns which, like all buildings and paths in the resort, are sinuously curved to echo the waves. One staff member called them “hobbit houses”, after the grass-roofed dwellings in The Lord of the Rings, a description which captures their charm if not their stature.
Restaurants and bars
There is not much dining choice nearby, though staff are happy to assist with recommendations and taxis should the resort’s sky-high (by Thai standards) prices prove wearing. So, it’s a good thing the quality at the Anantara is high.
On our first night, we ate at the resort’s Pakarang Thai restaurant. Excellent, if not extraordinary. The second night was truly special. The Beach Restaurant is Anantara’s signature beachfront grill, as adept with seafood as with meat, and on Fridays, diners are entertained with a spectacular Fire Show on the beach. Three young men, stripped to the waist, transform themselves into human Catherine Wheels and send gouts of flame 15 feet into the night sky.
They also served a huge surf and turf buffet, including lobster, crab and Wagyu beef cooked to order. I’ve had the odd disappointing experience with dry, overcooked lobster, but here it was succulent and delicious. The cocktails, too, are top-notch. And, the resort’s buffet breakfast is remarkable. So much choice. So well done.
Facilities
Koh Yao Yai is just half an hour’s boat ride from either Krabi or Phuket, both of which have direct flights to and from Dubai. From Phuket you can take the resort’s own airport transfer service and luxury boat which drops you at its private jetty to be greeted by cool towels, garlands of jasmine and a welcome drink.
It’s all very White Lotus – which is apt, since three sister Anantara properties feature as locations in season three. Once at the resort, families can enjoy the largest Kids’ Club in southern Thailand, including separate zones for toddlers and teens, and a dedicated kids’ pool. There’s even a family movie night with a giant screen set up in front of the beach.
In the serene spa, with its hydro pool and Moroccan hammam, I had one of the finest and most dreamily relaxing massages of my life. It was nearly ten times the price of the cheap beach massage I’d had previously on Koh Lanta, but on a whole other level.
Together with friendly, if occasionally disjointed service and those amazing suites, you may never want to leave – but you should. There are interesting side trips to discover local community industries such as rubber making and the quality craftwork of Batik de Kohyao (a great place to buy unique gifts). And, as well as the must-visit Laem Haad beach, you can make a longer excursion – perhaps on the resort’s own 55-foot luxury yacht – to unforgettable beauty spots such as Hong Island, James Bond Island or Phang Nah Bay.
GO: Visit www.anantara.com for more information.